SanDisk Offers Real-Time Notebook Backup

SanDisk said that the company is showing off the SanDisk FlashBack Adapter at the CeBIT show this week, a product that will quietly backup your laptop, in real time, as you use it.

0shares

SanDisk said that the company is showing off the SanDisk FlashBack Adapter at the CeBIT show this week, a product that will quietly backup your laptop, in real time, as you use it.

The inexpensive ($29.99) flash-based card plugs into a notebook's ExpressCard slot -- so securely, in fact, that it's not visible from the outside world. The device will go on sale sometime in the second quarter, SanDisk said.

The idea, according to SanDisk, is that the card encrypts your documents and data to the card as you use them, so if an unexpected failure or hard drive crash occurs, the critical data will able to be retrieved. The device stores data to a built-in flash card of any capacity, with the option to use either an SD or SDHC card.

SanDisk's FlashBack provides a backup solution for notebooks, which are usually untethered, or can be connected via the network. Desktop PCs, meanwhile have typically used USB-connected hard drives to provide real-time backups, and virtually all external drive makers include some sort of backup software.

The module itself serves as the flash controller. The FlashBack Adapter ships with software that allows a user to back up selected files or folders onto the card, and provides a visual indicator to show how much available space there is. According to SanDisk, updating a file or folder will cause the change to be incrementally updated on its backup device as well. If a crash does occur, the adapter is not needed to restore the files, SanDisk said.

The FlashBack Adapter required either a Windows 2000, Windows XP or Windows Vista operating system, as well as an SD memory card reader, to restore files.

Users also have the option of backing up files online with BeInSync for a "nominal fee," SanDisk said.

Automatic Renewal Program: Your subscription will continue without interruption for as long as you wish, unless
you instruct us otherwise. Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of the term unless you authorize
cancellation. Each year, you'll receive a notice and you authorize that your credit/debit card will be charged the
annual subscription rate(s). You may cancel at any time during your subscription and receive a full refund on all
unsent issues. If your credit/debit card or other billing method can not be charged, we will bill you directly instead. Contact Customer Service